A laser ablation ICP-MS study of platinum-group and chalcophile elements in base metal sulfide minerals of the Jinchuan Ni–Cu sulfide deposit, NW China

The paper presents concentrations of the platinum-group and chalcophile elements in the base metal sulfides (BMS) from the Jinchuan Ni–Cu sulfide deposit determined by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Mass balance calculations reveal that pentlandite hosts a large proportion of Co, Ni and Pd (> 65%), and that pentlandite and pyrrhotite accommodate significant proportions of Re, Os, Ru, Rh, and Ag (~ 35–90%), whereas chalcopyrite contains a small amount of Ag (~ 10%) but negligible platinum-group elements. Iridium and Pt are not concentrated in the BMS and mostly occur in As-rich platinum-group minerals. The enrichments of Co, Ni, Re, Os, Ru, and Rh in pentlandite and pyrrhotite, and Cu in chalcopyrite are consistent with the fractionation of sulfide liquid and exsolution of pentlandite and pyrrhotite from the mono-sulfide solid solution (MSS). The Ir-bearing minerals exsolved from the MSS, depleting pentlandite and pyrrhotite in Ir, whereas sperrylite exsolved from the residual sulfide liquid on cooling. Diffusion of Pd from residual sulfide liquid into pentlandite during its exsolution from the MSS and crystallization of Pt-bearing minerals in the residual sulfide liquid resulted in the enrichment of Pd in pentlandite and decoupling between Pd and Pt in the Jinchuan net-textured and massive ores.